Senior Finance Business Partner

This role will involve being a key partner to one of our Business Groups to improve all aspects of financial management and profit improvement and to assist it to achieve its strategic objectives.

Key responsibilities:

• Reporting to the Business Group Leader for the designated business group and the firm’s FD. Working alongside the BGL in driving financial performance and providing strategic support in the group. Effectively operating as Finance Director of the business group.
• Close working relationship with and influence of many internal stakeholders - Business Group and Team Leaders, Partners, FEs, Exec, Board, Finance team, HR team, BDM team.
• Lead monthly dashboard meetings on financial performance with the BGL, FD, CEO and COO.
• Lead individual monthly financial review with Team Leaders.
• Report on financial performance and key issues in monthly Team Leader meetings.
• Report on financial performance and focus on key issues/topics in team meetings (incorporates all Partners and FEs).
• Provide insight and analysis into key aspects of performance, to highlight issues and drive improved behaviours.
• Provide analysis of client performance for both individual clients and groupings of clients
• Take responsibility for financial information and its output within the business group and out to the wider business.
• Develop and lead training project to improve financial awareness amongst Fee Earners. Develop and lead initiatives to improve revenue recovery and drive billing.
• Support on client pitches and pricing by providing dynamic and insightful input. Advise on tender pricing.
• Challenge performance, future plans and outlook.
• Responsibility for driving desired behaviours with regards to lock up, through training, providing insight and analysis and reporting this to FEs, managing review processes.
• Liaising with credit control to manage debt and promote best practice in the Group.
• Lead budget process, salary reviews, bonus setting.
• Support on strategic growth opportunities, including creating business cases for lateral hires and potential acquisitions/mergers.
• Through liaison with the wider Finance team and embedded business group support, ensure day to day operational activities progress smoothly.

What are we looking for:

Essential

• Experienced and Qualified Accountant - CIMA, ACA or ACCA
• Advanced Excel skills
• Management reporting - significant development experience or capability to be demonstrated of management information and KPIs
• Management accounting - strong technical competence, familiarity and experience of KPIs, costing, pricing models specifically profitability analysis at all levels
• Commercial orientation - involvement in commercial tenders, ability to react rapidly and flexible to assist win commercial opportunities
• Team player / winner - demonstrable partnering business leaders, not just an accountant; must be a key part of the team
• Bottom line focus - sharp focus on improving bottom line results; specific example of personal achievement to be shared
• Client service focus - clear understanding of internal and external clients’ needs and the ability to add value
• Communicator / influencer - proven experience of working alongside / influencing key management in a business unit, respected by colleagues in current and or previous roles
• Demonstrable understanding of business and business objectives
• Profitability analysis to levels of client, product and business units
• Confident and competent presentation and report writing skills

Desirable

• Demonstrable understanding of pricing models
• Experience in process change and system implementation.